Written by: Lupita Nyong’o
Illustrated by: Vashti Harrison
I hugged myself while reading Sulwe, Lupita Nyong’o’s beautifully crafted children’s story about colorism and self love. It is just as necessary today as it would have been decades ago. It’s sad and dangerous that colorism (a derivative of racism) is so ingrained in the fabric of our society, that many don’t question it. They just rationalize it as a preference, as if these things exist within a vacuum.
This insidious belief that darker skin is somehow less beautiful, is not just prevalent in the world as a whole, but versions of this still play out in the Black community as well. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Playmates who didn’t want to play outside because they “didn’t want to get too dark.” In school, darker-skinned children (especially girls, but boys weren’t immune either) were teased about their skin tone. I’ve seen people praise little girls for their lighter complexion and “pretty” (read: curly NOT coily) hair texture. I’ve observed kids with lighter skin tones get the benefit of the doubt, while kids with darker skin had the presumption of guilt place upon them.
As a parent, you teach self-love to your children to make sure they know they’re beautiful inside and out, but it seems you’re in a constant battle with…well, society. Because everywhere you turn, there are images that counter what you’ve taught. So you hope and pray that you’ve instilled enough self-confidence within your child to carry them through. But it’s tough. Because everyone wants to be considered beautiful by the very society in which they participate.
Anyway, I can OBVIOUSLY ramble on and on about this topic! Sulwe is a heart-warming story about a young girl whose skin is the “color of midnight,” while her mother, father, and sister all have fairer skin. She doesn’t feel pretty. She notices how schoolmates treat her in comparison to her sister; which, in kind, affects the way in which Sulwe behaves at school. She shrinks herself; never really opening up, therefore never making friends. She’s an observer, never fully participating in childhood, always painfully aware of her darker skin, especially in contrast to her sister’s. Sulwe tries everything she could think of to rid herself of her skin tone like it’s some type of burden. She finally confides in her mother, who tells her that real beauty comes from within and she has to first believe she’s beautiful. The next night, she receives a visitor from a bright star, who told her a tale of two sisters, Day and Night. Day was celebrated by the people, while Night was denigrated. After a while, Night got tired of being hated, so she left. Soon, the people suffered from too much daylight. Day went off in search of Night, eventually finding her. Day told her that everyone missed her and that there’s beauty in everything. Night realized that she did not have to change anything about herself, she was beautiful as she is.
The story is wonderfully written by Nyong’o. A story about loving yourself is alway on time. Nyong’o paints vivid pictures with her words about self acceptance and how beauty comes from within. Vashti Harrison’s illustrations perfectly complements Nyong’o’s story. You can tell when an illustrator has respect for the nuances of Black skin. Harrison also illustrated Hair Love, which I reviewed a few months ago. In that book, as well, she illustrates the different shades of Black without the darker skin appearing ashy. Here, Sulwe’s family’s skin tones run a wide spectrum, and Harrison colors them each with care. Notice how luminous Sulwe’s skin is and her big, expressive eyes that are like windows into her heart. There’s a scene where the sisters, Day and Night, are looking at each other from opposing pages. They each have on a gold armband. Notice how the armbands are lit to complement each sister’s skin tone; this is an illustrator who respects Black skin! Also, check out those braids in the sisters’ hair. This book is beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated. I highly recommend!